Déjà Vu

by Suzetta Perkins

  Angelica’s face lit up when she saw Edward and immediately followed him in the rental car to his place. Edward seemed truly glad to see his sister, and they hugged each other and walked arm in arm to Edward’s expensive condo.

  After settling down, Edward poured himself and Angelica a glass of wine.

  “You look good, little sister. You never cease to amaze me how you continue to rise from the ashes.”

  Angelica looked from behind the glass of wine to stare at Edward. “What do you mean, Edward?”

  “Sweetie, it was a compliment. You are so resilient. All the things you’ve been through, you don’t seem to let it stop you from moving forward with your life. You weather one storm after another and, as the title of Maya Angelou’s famous poem suggests, and still you rise.”

  “I really want to get my life together, Edward. It seems that trouble seems to follow me like flies to a picnic. I don’t even ask for it, but when I look up, the dark cloud is swarming over me. I can’t seem to shake the dark side of my life. I’m trying, Edward. God knows I’m trying.”

  “Sis, you are going to be fine. Hearing you say that you want to turn over a new leaf leaves me no alternative but to help you in every way I can.”

  Angelica looked at Edward with so much love in her eyes. “Oh, Edward, that’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time…well, almost.”

  “What do you mean by almost?” Edward snickered.

  “I did meet a nice man in New York. Edward, he truly cares about me. In fact, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of New York.”

  “You plan to go back to New York after the funeral?”

  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I know it would be a death sentence to go back there now, with Santiago looking for me. He gives me the creeps. Sometimes I feel like he’s following me.”

  “Well, big brother is here to protect you now. We’re going to get rid of the rental car tomorrow morning, and we’ll strike out for Fayetteville after that. Hamilton’s funeral is temporarily set for Saturday; however, I believe the family is waiting for you to get there to complete the arrangements.”

  “How is that? I’ve been estranged from that family forever. They must know that Hamilton gave me his insurance policies and things to hold. Maybe we can get Jefferson to go over Hamilton’s investments.”

  “Is that a good idea? My sources tell me that Margo and Jefferson are trying to work on their marriage, and your asking Jefferson to help with Hamilton’s finances might be misconstrued.”

  “Remember, Edward, I’m no longer up to my old tricks. I want to take care of business and be left alone.”

  “I’ll give Jefferson a call, and see if we can’t set something up. I’ll be with you.”

  “Great. Now I’m tired. I had a long day. Today was like a page out of one of James Patterson’s mystery novels.”

  “Glad you’re here, Sis. You’re in good hands.”

  Brring, brring, brring. Angelica hesitated at the sound of her cell phone ringing. She had ignored several of Santiago’s calls, but maybe he would go away if she answered.

  “Don’t answer that if it’s Santiago,” Edward cautioned. “He’s a smart guy. Your call could be traced, and he might have the resources to do it. I think we are going to have to get the police involved because, if we don’t, we may be letting ourselves in for a showdown that we’ll all regret.”

  “You’re right,” Angelica said.

  Brring, brring, brring, the phone began again. Angelica looked at the number closely and realized it was Ari.

  “This is the gentleman I told you I met in New York,” Angelica said to Edward, her face lighting up. “Hello, Ari,” Angelica said with excitement in her voice.

  “An…An…”

  “Ari, are you all right?”

  “San…San…tiago,” the voice at the other end said.

  “What about Santiago, Ari? Where are you?” Angelica saw the concern in Edward’s eyes.

  “Beat…me…up…left to die. Wanted to know where you were. Says I helped…you. He…he killed Donna.”

  Angelica’s heart sank. “Oh my God. Where are you, Ari?”

  “I don’t know. Left to die. San…ti…ago and his goons snatched me…in front of the apartment building. Don’t know if I’m going to make it.”

  “Don’t talk like that, Ari. You’re going to make it. I’m going to call the police and Nick. Hang in there, Ari, if not for yourself, for me. I need you.”

  “Beeeeeeee care…ful. Santiago is dangerous. He…he had a…gun.”

  “Don’t worry about me; it’s you I’m worried about. We’re going to find you.”

  There was a long silence. “Ari!” Angelica shouted. “Ari, can you hear me? Hang in there, baby.”

  The cell phone shook violently in Angelica’s hand. “It has already started, Edward. I guess Santiago tried to find out from Ari where I was, and when he didn’t tell him, he beat him up. He’s out there somewhere hurt and by himself.” She closed the phone, and the line was dead.

  “Give me the phone,” Edward said. “I’ll call the police and put things in motion. I need to call that Captain Petrowski in Fayetteville to let him know that we’re on our way there and Santiago may be coming that way, too. We need all the help we can get.”

  “Great, Edward. In the meantime, I’m going to call Ari’s friend Nick to see if he can help find Ari. Maybe they can trace his location through my cell phone.”

  “Sounds like we’re racing against time. Hopefully we can find Ari before it’s too late for him. We’re going to the police tonight, though. We have to stay a step ahead of Santiago and maybe set a trap he never saw coming. As soon as we talk to the police and all our calls are made, we are heading to Fayetteville. I’ll have someone pick the rental car up and turn it in. Let’s go.”

  “I’m on it.”

  Angelica called Nick and shared what she knew. She could hear the fear in his voice when she told him what Ari had said. Guilt consumed her because, if it weren’t for her, neither Ari nor Nick would have been involved in her mess. Angelica’s only hope was that Ari would be found before it was too late.

  “I just got off the phone with the police and they want us to come to the station now, if we have any hopes of saving Ari,” Edward said.

  “Let’s go,” Angelica said, grabbing her purse.

  Edward raced to the police station, maneuvering around slow moving cars with reckless abandon. When they arrived, Angelica recounted the sordid story of her past and the details of Ari’s abduction and what led to it. She also shared her speculation about who may have murdered her ex-husband, Hamilton, and his cousin, Donna. If there was a tie-in, she didn’t know since she was merely making an assumption based on the thoughts of others.

  Angelica gave the police Ari’s cell number and a description of what he looked like. The information was dispatched to the New York Police Department. They also offered to share the information about Santiago with the Fayetteville Police. Angelica was thanked for a job well done.

  Glad to have that behind them, Edward and Angelica headed back to his house to grab their things. There was one other piece of equipment Edward needed before they headed to Fayetteville. While Angelica fiddled with her face in the bathroom, Edward reached into a hidden compartment in his dresser and withdrew a revolver. Quickly, he put it in his briefcase underneath a batch of papers and locked the case. Feeling better about things, he was ready to face what lay ahead.

  40

  Nothing had changed since Angelica left Fayetteville. She couldn’t say that about the turn of events in her life—Donna, Hamilton, and now Ari. It was as if she wore a neon sign that said “I’m bad news and if you get close to me something terrible will happen to you.”

  She and Edward got a hotel room somewhere in the middle of town, Edward had suggested that they get double beds so that he could be close to Angelica in case Santiago should roll into town.

  “You know Hamilton’s fo
lks are waiting on you to finish the arrangements.”

  Angelica walked around in circles with her arms folded across her chest. “Edward, I really don’t want to go. Those people hate me, and I think they blame me for Donna’s death because I was living with her.”

  “Well, you’re going to have to, Little Sis. I’ll be with you. I’m going to call Jefferson when daylight comes and see if he can meet us sometime today—get all of this over with.”

  “Do what you have to do. I wonder if they found Ari yet? I can’t believe Santiago would stoop so low as to harm Ari to get to me.”

  “I hope the police find Santiago before he hurts another soul. Angelica, I fear that if they don’t, you will be in grave danger.”

  Embezzling funds from his corporation had cost Jefferson more than a twenty-year prison sentence that was reduced to five. It cost him his livelihood and a marriage that was crumbling at a fast rate right before his very eyes. Several million dollars of stolen property marked him as a man not to be respected, causing him undue stress and liabilities which, if it had not been for Margo, could have put the family in ruins. Jefferson understood Margo’s distrust of him in some ways; it tore at his heart that while he thought she would accept him back with open arms, she had rejected him, although she had led the church congregation and others to believe that she wanted him home and was willing to do whatever it took to get their family back on track. Seeing Malik at Margo’s real estate office earlier served as a reminder that his indiscretions were still costing him.

  Quiet invaded the house. For the first time since coming home, Jefferson ventured to the little area that they called a bar and poured himself a stiff drink. His mind was in knots but not because of Malik. He had another worry that caused him great anxiety—Santiago. Memories of a not so distant past flooded his mind. How did I end up in this mess, Jefferson reasoned with himself.

  The wet drink trickled over his fingers as he dodged the memory of the hail of bullets that had rained on his Mercedes. He grabbed his glass with his other hand to keep from spilling its entire contents. Jefferson was deathly afraid of Santiago, and he still carried the scars of a near-fatal crash.

  The ringing of the phone brought him back to reality. He rushed to the phone, anxious to talk to someone, anyone who would take his mind away from the thoughts that were trying to rob him of his sanity.

  “Hello,” Jefferson said, not recognizing the number.

  “Jefferson, this is Edward Thompson, Angelica’s brother.”

  This was not the voice Jefferson was anxious to hear. It was not soothing, and the last thing he wanted to talk about was Angelica.

  “Yes, Edward. Are you in town?”

  “Yes, Angelica and I arrived early this morning, a little ahead of schedule. Do you have some time today to go over Hamilton’s papers? It looks like we may have to bury Hamilton, and we’d like to have all our ducks in a row so we can move expeditiously, if possible.”

  Jefferson hesitated. He hadn’t anticipated seeing Angelica so soon and wasn’t sure he wanted to see her at all. Edward’s voice brought him back to the moment.

  “If it’s not convenient…”

  “No, no,” Jefferson said. “My mind was on something else, but sure…this afternoon is fine. How about in a couple of hours?”

  “Sounds good. Why don’t we meet at O’Charley’s, say two o’clock, it’s open and public.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “All right, see you later,” Edward said.

  Jefferson hung up the phone and looked at his watch. He had an hour and a half before he would meet them. Why not? Many of his days and nights were spent alone. If Margo wasn’t showing a house, she had other things she was involved in that kept her away from home. It seemed she consumed much of her time finding ways to stay away from him.

  Jefferson let out a small sigh as he continued to think about his state of affairs. He needed a job. It was the only way he would add some civility to his life. Maybe it would be best if he and Margo led separate lives. It certainly seemed to be what she wanted. He shook the thought from his head temporarily.

  He hobbled to his bedroom. Every day, strength was returning to the muscles in his legs. There were times he still needed to use his walker, but today he was going to show Angelica and Edward that he was a whole man and that he had truly come back from the dead.

  Jefferson marched into the large walk-in closet and pulled out a pair of starched jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a blue Polo blazer. After laying his clothes on the bed, he ran through the shower, splashed on a little of his favorite after-shave and sang a song while putting on his clothes. A song had not split his lips in a long time, and while he was only going to see Angelica and Edward on business, Jefferson felt like he was back in the saddle.

  Checking his watch again, Jefferson picked up his wallet and looked around the house to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. It wouldn’t take him long to get to the restaurant, but he wanted to arrive a few minutes early so that, if he did have to struggle to the door, he wouldn’t be the object of their stares. Ten minutes later, Jefferson was out of the house and on his way to O’Charley’s.

  The air was brisk, but it felt wonderful as Jefferson rested his arm in the frame of the open window. The radio was tuned to Foxy 99; Jefferson’s head swayed with the music. He wasn’t sure why a simple drive to a restaurant to meet with the woman he despised invigorated him, but he reminded himself that this reunion was strictly business.

  The parking lot was relatively light and Jefferson pulled into one of the free handicapped spots that were available. After exiting the car, he looked around to see if he recognized any familiar faces. Seeing none, he headed inside and requested a table for three.

  Several couples entered the restaurant. Jefferson’s eyes darted into the parking lot, anticipating the arrival of his lunch companions. Then he saw her—dressed in a white, form-fitting pantsuit, set off by a golden-yellow blouse with a pronounced fly-away collar. She seemed taller than he remembered, but once she entered the restaurant along with her brother Edward, he saw the sleek pointed-toe stilettos that encased her feet. Her hair was brushed back into a ponytail, and diamond studs dotted her ear lobes. He resisted the desire to stare.

  “Hello, Jefferson,” Angelica said, nodding her head slightly with an arrogance Jefferson remembered well. She extended her hand to him.

  “And a good afternoon to you, Angelica, Edward,” Jefferson replied, patting Angelica’s hand and then letting it go.

  Angelica made a full scan of the man she last saw sitting in a wheelchair at the county courthouse. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Yeah, a very long time.”

  Pleasantries over, the trio followed the hostess to a table at a nearby window. Jefferson expressed his condolences and shared with Angelica and Edward that he feared Hamilton’s death might be the work of Santiago. It was Angelica’s revelation that gave more meaning to what Jefferson feared and multiplied his anxiety. With Santiago looking for Angelica, he would constantly have to look over his own shoulder. Edward shared that the local police were already alerted that Santiago might find his way back to Fayetteville.

  They each ordered a salad and continued their light conversation. Jefferson felt Angelica’s eyes dart in his direction, but he resisted the temptation to look back. Even though she was as beautiful as she ever was, he refused to fall into her clutches again. Jefferson hadn’t forgotten the moments he’d spent with her, compromising his marriage and his reputation, but they were just that, moments of the flesh, and although his life with Margo was on shaky ground, she was the only woman he’d ever love. They finished their lunch and agreed to go back to Angelica’s hotel room to look over Hamilton’s will and the other documents.

  41

  Traffic was heavy for late afternoon. Margo drove toward the center of town to get a bite to eat. She had completed a mound of paperwork back at the office, and instead of going home, she opted for time by herself to refl
ect and think.

  Her mind was conflicted. It seemed she couldn’t turn off thoughts of Malik, although she felt an obligation to her husband to make their marriage work. Playing over and over in the back of her mind was yesterday’s scene at the office. There couldn’t be any more near misses between Malik and Jefferson. Margo was fascinated with Malik, but his obsession for her was making her crazy because he was bent on her making a decision between him and Jefferson sooner than she thought she was ready. And then there was her conscience that wouldn’t allow her to entertain an adulterous proposition such as leaving her husband for another man, especially since she had made a pact with the Lord that she was His and Jefferson’s.

  As she drove on, Margo silently asked the Lord to forgive her fornicating thoughts. A good Christian wouldn’t entertain thoughts of the flesh, even though Margo was weak. There was nothing left to do but tell Malik that she was committed to her husband, and they needed to do what was right. She couldn’t risk both of them going to hell.

  Margo pulled into the parking lot of Logan’s and proceeded to get out. In doing so, she faced O’Charley’s and the surrounding parking lot. Her mouth flew open as she saw Jefferson leave the restaurant with a woman that looked very much like Angelica.

  Anger replaced surprise. Life with Jefferson was not good, but Margo hadn’t expected to see him with Angelica after he had sworn that he wanted nothing else to do with her. What a liar, Margo thought.

  She jumped back into her car and turned on the ignition. As soon as Jefferson pulled out, she followed them at a safe distance. She hadn’t expected them to stop so soon. They drove around the bend and pulled into the parking lot of a hotel that sat on the backside of the restaurant and a Sam’s Club.

  She couldn’t believe her eyes. Right out in the open, before God and all of Fayetteville, Angelica was getting out of Jefferson’s car. No, he didn’t run to her side of the car and open the door, but the mere fact that they were about to enter a hotel was reason enough to follow them and pump their bodies with bullets from a gun she wished she had. Instead, she watched as they disappeared through the double doors of the hotel lobby entrance, dropped her head on the steering wheel and cried.